Connor had gotten far too used to this running for his life lark. It was getting kind of frightening how fit he was getting.
Stephen was to his left and Nick was out front and behind them was something with far too many teeth.
So when running feet appeared to his right it wasn't his fault that he flinched and almost fell.
The new runner was a sort pointy looking man in a black leather jacket who was trailing curses behind him as he ran.
He was making angry noises into an ear-mounted microphone and throwing occasional disappointed glances at the terribly inadequate handgun strapped to his hip.
Connor's movements faltered again when the thudding behind him disappeared and the man beside him stopped.
When no one started screaming Connor stopped running too and turned to look behind him.
There was a SUV parked across the road beside the downed body of something large and carnivorous looking.
Pointy man was gesturing angrily at the people exiting the SUV as Connor walked towards them.
"Since when does the Rift kick out fucking dinosaurs?"
The handsome man in the greatcoat was watching a short Asian woman poke excitedly at the body. He turned to the pointy man reluctantly, keeping an amused eye on the woman.
"The rift has been known to go back in time."
Now that Connor was closer he could see the scowl Pointy was shooting the other man.
"Then why was the reading so fucking odd Jack?"
Connor interrupted before Jack could answer, which was probably a good thing, because the smile Jack was wearing would indicate that whatever he was going to say would probably cause Pointy to shoot him.
'Uh…This Rift wouldn't happen to look like shattered glass by any chance?"
Jack seemed to notice him for the first time and gave a terribly speculative look that made Connor wonder if Nick and Stephen were going to turn up any time soon.
"No but you've seen something like that haven't you?"
Connor froze and could have kissed Nick and Stephen when they finally jogged up behind him.
"I'm sorry but who the hell are you?" Angry Scottish had never sounded so good.
Jack turned his frighteningly speculative gaze onto Nick for a moment before grinning at him.
He held out his hand.
"Captain Jack Harkness. Torchwood."
Nick looked sour but shook his hand anyway.
"Professor Nick Cutter. ARC."
The pointy man beside Jack frowned rudely.
"Never heard of ARC."
Stephen answered before Nick could.
"What part of 'secret government operation' don't you get?"
Ryan's team chose that moment to finally arrive and start setting up a perimeter around them and the creature, which on closer inspection was merely stunned.
They were looking wonderfully intimidating and Nick looked relieved.
"That," Nick pointed at the downed creature. "belongs to us."
The Torchwood team stiffened and then Jack smirked.
Things went downhill after that.